St. Paul daily globe., 1887-10-06
SIOUX CITY & PACIFIC.
Mr.. Blair Concludes His Testi-
mOny Regarding the Line.

NEW YORK, Oct. 5.-The examination
of John l. Blair was concluded before
Mr.. Anderson, of the Pacific railroad
commission, this morning with refer
ence to the cost of constructing the
Sioux City & Pacific railroad. Mr..
Blair said that the six and one-half
miles of road to connect the Sioux City
with the Cedar Rapids, between Mis-
souri, Valley and California Junction,
was purchased by the issuance of S179,-
600 preferred stock OF the Sioux City &
Pacific. The witness did not remember
whether he turned over the book in
which he kept the account showing the
actual cost of constructing the railroad
to the company or not, but did not think
haps did not. If that was so, the book
is probably in the vault of the old store
where he kept his office. The land of
the railroad company in Nebraska was
sold to the Sioux City & Pacific Land
and Town Lot company, of which
Mr.. Blair thought he was president.
The stockholders in this company were
the same as those of the railroad COM
pany. They paid. cash for the lands,
100000. AS to this transaction, so far
as it related to $4,000 acres of land
granted by the state of Nebraska, the
state brought suit to set it aside, but the
company won their cause. There was
great deal of railroad legislation both in
the Iowa and Nebraska legislatures.
Before the roads were built everybody
wanted them, but after they got them
everybody wanted freight rates put
down to nothing. He said that there
was always certain class of legislators
who were upright and honest, and
another that always desire and expect
to be paid for doing their duty. He,
however, never paid cent for legisla-
tiOn, nor knew of any being paid for
legislation regarding any road with
which he was connected. He claimed
to have been very popular with the peO-
pie of Iowa and Nebraska at the time,
and got all the legislation he wanted
because of his popularity. He did not
sioner Littler, who had arrived during
the investigation. asked Mr.. Blair if his
statement concerning the venality of
legislators was made from experience
with the legislators of Iowa and
Nebraska, and he replied that
it was experience had in his own
state-New Jersey. AS to the sale of
the telegraph of the Sioux City d Pa
cific railroad to the Western Union, Mr..
Blair SAID that 1t had to be done, as the
Western Union would not take the busi-
ness from the line at equitable rates.
The Northwestern road paid from 10 to
Is cents On the dollar for controlling
interest in the stock of the Sioux City &
Pacific. The stock is not worth more
than that sum now, except for purposes
of control. A million Of dollars is
enough and liberal sum to pay the
government for the release of its claim,
and the witness, as director of the
Northwestern, would not be willing to
pay more. There were fifteen or sixteen
companies in connection with the con-
struction of the Sioux City & Pacific
railroad and Mr.. Blair said that he was
president of all of them at one time. AS
regards the wisdom Of building the
Union Pacific branches, Mr.. Blair said
some of them were useless, but others
were good investment in that they
have acquired good territory by them.
No spur road should be built by a
through line simply as matter of spec
ulatiOn. This concluded Mr.. Blair's
testimony. There is but one other wit
ness to be examined by the commission,
but he is at present out of the city.